Illuminated step plate



Jan. 19 1926. 1,569,867

W. LINDSAY ILLUMINATED STEP PLATE Filed Dec. 18, 19g4 Jmbonh William Lindsay Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

lat-$857 WILLIAM LINDSAY, or DENVER, COLORADQ.

ILLUMINATED STEP PLATE.

Application filed December 18, 1924. Serial No. 756,725;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that WILLIAM LINnsAr, a citizen of the United States, residing at 916; Broadway, the city and countyof Denb ver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Illuminated Step Plates; and I do declare the 'followingito be a full, clear, and exact description of 7 the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica tion.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in step plates for automobiles and has special reference to a step plate provided with means for illuminating the upper surface :0 thereof so that it may readily be seen on a dark night.

Automobiles are often provided with small lamps which are so located that they illuminate the upper side of the running board so as to increase the safety of alighting from the car. Many automobiles are also provided with ornamental step plates which usually have a ribbed or corrugated upper surface. The metal portions of these plates are nearly always made from aluminum, as this metal when polished makes a fine appearance. The step plates are nearly always made with their inside edges bent upwardly at a sharp angle so as to form a stop wall.

My invention, briefly described consists in providing the stop wall with a plurality of spaced perforations for the reception of lenses whose surfaces are preferably formed with facets so as to increase their ornamental appearance. To the rear of the stop wall, I secure a housing with which. the openings in the wall communicate, one ormore lamps of suitable candlepower are placed within this housing and when the lamp or lamps are lit at night the lenses will glow and have the appearance of jewels, thereby producing a noveland highly ornamental effect. In ad dition to the ornamental effect the light that comes through the lenses serves to illuminate the upper surface of the place so that it may be readily seen on a dark night and in addition to this it serves to make the car visible to a driver approaching from the side, thereby preventing collisions on dark nights. a V

In order better and more clearly to de; scribe my invention, I shall have reference to the accompanying drawing in which the invention is illustrated and in which TF ig. 1 is a perspective view showing my improved step plate in place, and

Fig.

Fig. 1

. In the drawing numeral 1 designates the running board which may be formed of Wood, as shown, or of metal. These run boards are usually provided with a covering 2 of linoleum or other suitable material whose outer edge is held in place by the angle metal binder 3 and whose inner edge is held down by abinder strip 4. Secured to the inner edge of the running board 1 is a portion of the automobile body indicated by numeral 5.

2 is a section taken on line 2---2 My step plate consists of a rectangular frame having sides 6 and 7 an outer frame member 8 and an inner member 9. A ribbed rubber mat 10 is held in place by the rectangular frame in the manner shown. cured to, or formed integral with the inner frame, member 9 is a stop wall 11, which extends upwardly at an angle of substantially degrees with the plane of the rectangular frame, all as shown in the drawings. The wall 11 is preferably curved in the manner shown in Fig. 2, so as to give a more pleasing appearance. The stop wall has it edge curved in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. The exact configuration of the stop wall is, of course, a matter of taste or of design as it relates to the effect produced on the eye only. My invention resides in providing the stop wall 11 with several openings 12 (Fig. 2) within. which I secure lenses 13, whose outer surfaces may be convex and provided with facets as shown in the drawing. In order to provide a source of light that will make the lenses 13 luminous and cause them to glow in the dark, I secure to the back of the stop wall 11 a casing 14. This casing is secured to and clamped against the back of the wall 11 by means of bolts 15 that have one end embedded in the material of the wall as by casting, while the other end extends through suitable openings in the rear wall 16 of the box 14 and is provided with wing nuts 17, all as shown in Fig. Casing 14 is also provided with a llat bottom 18 to the upper or inner side of which a lamp socket 19 is connected. \Vithin the lamp socket I secure a lamp 20. For the purpose of conducting current to the lamp so that it may be made luminous, I have provided an opening 21 through which the wires may pass. The inner surface 22 of the box or casing 14 may be made white, or given a finish that will reflect the light from the lamp and thereby increase the brilliancy of the lenses 13. If the lamp burns out it. may be replaced by removing the nuts 17 which permits the casing 14: to be moved so that. the lamp will become accessible.

It will be noted that my improved plate is so constructed that it may be used with or without the casing 14: and lamp 20. If it is desired to omit the light, thiscan be done as the appearance durina th vtime will be the same. In case the light is not wanted the bolts 15 may also be omitted. I have shown one end of the bolts 15 molded into the material of the wall 11 but may be secured thereto in anyother way desired. The outer edge of my plate is provided with scrapers 23 which serve to remove dirt from the bottom of the shoes before entering the car. The plate is secured to the running board by means of screws :24.

From the above it will be apparent that I have produced an ornamental step ilate for automobiles, which is provided with a plurality of lenses and means for causing the latter to glow at night whereby the upper surface of the plate will become. visible and whereby the glowing lenses will act as a signal at night for the prevention of collisions.

Having nowdescribed my invention, what I claim as new is:

A step plate having a portion adapted to be secured to the upper surface of a running board, a stop wall projecting upwardly from one edge of said surface, said wall having a plurality of openings, lenses in said openings, a casing adapted to be secured to the rear surface of said wall, said casing having a bottom member adapted to rest upon the running board, an electric socket secured to the bottom and means comprising bolts for securing the casing to the stopwall.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

\VILLIAM LINDSAY. 

